To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website

I' ,
Reflection In sin I ""t
Wednesday, October 20, 1993 Virginia Commonwealth University's African-American t'IIews Magazine Vol. 18, No.3
Jody Allen assists
minority affairs
Colleagues describe her as
solid, efficient, reflective
Betsey Coplan
RII Staff Writer
MO\'l~S can bl~ Il1l'SSV .15 Jodv Allen, intl'rilTI assistant
dirl'chlf of the Office ot Minor{tv Student Affairs, found
llUt - l'spl'ci(llly \yhl'l1 you'rc bringing your pet angel
fish \\'ith VOll.
"It t(ll)k us (lP(lut t\\'() IHlllfS ttl get the tank ()\'l'f hefe.
It \\'~S " big ml'SS, Alll'n s,lid jokinglv. "It probably
lookl'd Iikl' something out of L<lurclllnd Hardy.
"I t(lok ()ut SOl11l' \\'(ltl'rbut lH1tenough. Thetank was
still hl\l\'Y <lnd my husband \\'.15 straining to lift it.
"We had to 1110\'l' the car to the side of Johnson Hall
and then the tank didn't fit in the car right, and we
dccided it would bl'l\lSil'f to get it b(lckout of the trunk.
Mv husbi'lnd s,lid if this fish dies, 'don't tell n1l'.' "
-When Allen, the former cuordinator of residence
CdU(,ltion, ilrri\'l'd the next morning the fish WilS dead.
Today, Allen's office looks something like home:
The fish tank bubbll's with fish in it, <utworks hang on
the \\,,1 lis, fish swim on thecomputerscreen,t1nd photos
of f<lmilv, fril~nds and sttlff <ldorn her office mantel.
A sle-nder, :1-foot-IO inches tall, Allen sl'ell1ed sur­prised
by thetlttentioll f()(used ()11 her but discussed her
nl'\\' job vvith <1 natur(li l'<lse ilnd confidence coupled
with her sel'mingly endless smile.
"TIll' dour is opl'n <lnd we'rl' open to suggestions,"
she silid, adding th<lt it is important for students to
express their needs <lbout \\'h<lt the office could offer
thL'm.
Allen continued to page 6 Jody Allen, interim director of the office of minority student
affairs.
•
News Briefs
Compiled from The Associated Press
Blacks acquitted on most
counts; Denny trial continues
Two Blacks were acquitted on Monday, Oct. 18,
of most of the felony charges in the beating of
white trucker Reginald Denny and other motor­ists
at the start of the 1992 riots, easing fears of
renewed racial tensions.
The multiracial jury ended the day sill dead­locked
on the most serious count - attempted
murder against defendant Damian Williams in
the videotaped attack on Denny - ~nd dead­locked
on an assault account against Henry
Watson.
Superior Court Judge John Ouderkirk on Tues­day,
Oct. 19, ordered the jury to resume delibera­tions.
Haitian refugees get temporary
stay; won't be deported
The United States has temporarily stopped
sending Haitian refugees back to their violence-'
torn homeland, but Clinton administration offi­cials
stressed they were not inviting an exodus.
"There hasn't been a moratorium or a change in
policy per se, but we are taking a closer look at
conditions there," said Justice Department spokes­woman
Ana Cobian.
She said deportations have stopped tempo­rarily.
Although the Coast Guard will still inter­cept
Haitian boat people at sea, that doesn't mean
they will be repatriated immediately, Cobian said
in Washington.
Navy spokeswoman JeannieCampbeli refused
to ~ay whether the warships off Haiti would pick
up tleeing refugees.
Afro-American director search under way
Susan Kennedy heads committee looking for the right person
Gage Harter
RII Staff Writer
Thequest hlr the Ilew d irector{)f Afnl-An1eri­((
1n Studies st(1rted with c1 sl'tlrch cOI1l1nittl'('
hedckd bv Susan Kennedy, associ<1te dean of
the Co lle~e of HUI1lilnities <1nd Science.
But thl' VCU Board of Visitors ultimately will
ITI<1ke the final decision before July 1, Clfter recommen­dations
from Kennedy's committee Clnd David Hiley,
dean of thl' Collq.;e of Humanities and Science.
The university advertised the position in several
l'duc<ltional public<ltions, including The Chronicle of
Higher Education and Black Issues in Education. As
applications arrivl\ committee men1bers review each
olle.
Kennedy said the job description requires the appli­cant
to have a doctoral degree and a record of teClching,
research and community work that will support award-ing
tenure. In addition, she said the committee
prefers an applicant with administrative ex­penence_
Avon Drake, who served seven years as
director before resigning last spring,
said he is concerned the search may
not reach thl' best available person.
"If the university is serious about
hiring the right person," Drake said,
"they need to find a person who is a
scholar with a good publication record
and has a public voice.
"That person also has to be dynamic,
energetic and can interact intellectually. Since
(Afro-American studies) is not a department,
there aren't many resources so the person will have to
carry the program."
Nevertheless, this particular search seems to be stir­ring
controversary.
An Aug. 10 Style Weekly column reported that Nikki
Giovanni, a faculty member at Virginia Polvtl'chnic
Institute and State University, topped VCU's list of
candidates. Style Weekly's editor, Sue Robertson, said
her paper since has retracted the story bcc(luse no
evidence of such a Jist exists and the source quoted ill
the article never was revealed.
But Kennedy maintains the comtnittee still is (1((t'pt­ing
applications and will continue todOSll reg<lrdll's~I)1
some people's contention that the search IV," ci<N'd
before it even began.
"You have my personal guarantee that I will h,1\"
nothing to do with any search thatisn'tan "pen sl',Heh. ··
Kennedy said in response to Style Weekly's ori~in"l
column. "We have asked people to sprmd the ,,""rd.
and anyone is welcome to nominate a person."
This is just what Drake said he will do,adding th"t "
the person he nominates does not get the job, hL' i,
Director continued. to page 6